Racism White Supremacy, Black Feminism, Single Black Motherhood, The Destruction of the Black Family, and the Myth of the Black Matriarchy

I become enraged when ever I hear Black People, especially, especially “conscious” Black People (and I’m putting emphasis on that) blaming Black Women for the ills of the Black Community with such outrageous statements like, “Black Feminism destroyed the Black Family,” “Black Single Mothers Are Messing Up the Race,” and “The Black Woman has “emasculated” the Black Man.” Many Black Women and I’m one of are just plum freaking tired of Black People with this foolish talk. Black People have ABSOLUTELY NO POWER Under the System Of Racism White Supremacy, so blaming the Black Woman for the Black Community’s ills is inaccurate and illogical in a society that is patriarchal, anti-black, and anti-woman. It will serve the “community” no purpose, but bring about more divisiveness and alienate Black Women. I just don’t understand for Christ’s sake why Black People keep repeating these lies and myths over, and over, and over again. Oh, I do know why……cause of the Black Community’s extreme internalized racism (INTRA-racism) and misogynoir towards the Black Woman.

I think I have an idea of where the origins of this Intra racist, misogynoiristic thinking comes from. Black People take everything that white people tell us at face value, no questions asked……..what white people say is the gospel!

Daniel Moynihan

In 1965, a pale degenerate by the name of Daniel Moynihan (with the help of the U.S. government) released the very deceptive, racist and misogynoiristic Moynihan Report (aka The Negro Family: The Case For National Action). The report used U.S. Labor Statistics basically shifting the blame from the very damaging affects of racism white supremacy on to the POWERLESS Black Woman for the Black Man’s failure to reach his full human potential….“the black woman had substantial advantages over the Black Man educationally, financially, and in employment.” However, at that time the Black Woman was working low paying jobs such as teaching, clerical, and domestic work and was paid less than white men, white women, and Black Men (mind you the gender pay gap STILL exists today). Despite the fact that Black Women are excelling in education, business, and entrepreneurship faster than the Black Man, in a PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY BlACK MEN MAKE MORE MONEY THAN BLACK WOMEN (Umoja, 2011).

Moreover, this deceptive, racist, and misogynoiristic report linked…”the professional and educational advancement of Black Women to high juvenile delinquency levels, high crime levels, poor educational levels for Black Men…”— ignoring the fact that the system of racism white supremacy was and is responsible for the limited educational and financial opportunities afforded to the Black Man causing him to be barred from the home and from being the breadwinner of his family and causing the Black Woman to take up the slack by working outside the home . Furthermore, the report created the myth of the Black Family as a “black matriarchy” dominated by aggressive, dominating, Black Women. Despite the fact that most households at the time was headed by Black Men, who were largely present in the home. Thus, many Black Men ( and now women), in a desperate attempt at seeking psychological relief for their oppression brought into this myth that the Black Woman is a major obstacle to Black Manhood and success, which made the Black Woman (a safer) scapegoat instead of blaming white people and the system of racism white supremacy which is practicing educational, economic, social, political, and psychological warfare against the Black Man. A classic case of as one sista Trojan Pam put it, “Black People blaming other Black People for what the most powerful White People Are Doing to Us” or “victims blaming victims” (p. 333).

There HAS NEVER Been Any Allyship Between White (mainstream) Feminist and Black Feminist/Womanist

In 1925, only three percent of Black households were headed by women. During the Great Depression, Black marriages were higher than white marriages in spite of the fact that on average Black were poorer than whites. Then jobs for low-income blacks were replaced by welfare (which was created for and by white people), crack cocaine, high-powered weapons, the manufactured “war on drugs,” and mandatory non-violent drug offenses causing Black Family stability to take a MAJOR hit. With one million Black Men (many who were fathers) in prison, the Black Woman WAS FORCED to take the lead (Umoja, 2011).

In a male-dominated, anti-woman society, MOST OF NOT ALL societies are patriarchal and the Black Community IS NO EXCEPTION. Black Women heading 70% of Black Household doesn’t even matter cause this situation was created by social and economic racism, NOT BY CHOICE OF EITHER THE BLACK MAN OR WOMAN. In this society most men reject women in leadership, and BLACK MEN ARE NO EXCEPTION (i.e. Like most churches or religious denominations, the Black Church and other Black Organizations DOES NOT CARE TOO MUCH ABOUT FEMALES IN LEADERSHIP). Most women themselves prefer male leadership over female leadership and Black Women are NO EXCEPTION. Black Men usually DO NOT FOLLOW Black Women, but Black Women DO FOLLOW Black Men. For example, the preacher, the politician, and the pimp, therefore whether its the church, the street corner or the hall meeting, Black Men lead, Black Women follow, thus Black Women are usually the foot soldiers and seldom the lead (with a few exceptions) in most Black organizations. THAT’S A FACT (p. 333).

Black Women Felt Left Out of Both Movements

In Black People Can’t Have A Freaking Movement Without In-Fighting and Divisiveness, I discussed the rampant misogynoir within the 1960s Black Power Movement. While some Black Women continued to work within the movement and chose to remain (and suffer) in silence about the sexism, misogyny, and colorism others became disillusioned and disappointed at the msiogynoiristic and colorist behaviors of the prominent and non-prominent Black Man leaders and activist overlooking the Black Woman’s plight and only focusing on the Black Man’s plight. These sistas naively joined white feminist circles only to find that while the racist, anti-black misogynist, feminist white women gave lip service to “sisterhood” they were only focused on the white woman’s needs and interest; overlooking the fact that race and gender intersect in sexism and misogyny toward Black Women. Due to the misogynoir and racism within White (mainstream) Feminism circles and misogynoir and colorism within the Black Power Movement, Black Women created their own distinctive type of feminism called womanism, a social theory rooted in the racial and gender oppression of Black Women, specifically.

Black Feminist/Womanist and Black Women (who do not specifically call them sevles feminist and or womanist) who follow Black Feminist/Womanist ideaology make it clear that :

They DO NOT wish to seek allyship with white feminist and are ONLY specifically concerned about the safety and well-being Black Women and girls, not white/non-black women .

White Feminism IS NOT for Black Women.

The racism and anti-black misogyny perpetuated by white feminist towards black women is why womanism was created which is distinctive from white (mainstream) feminism.

As one Black Feminist/Womanist explains:

Feminism in the form that it is currently in + how it exists in the mainstream: prioritizes the voices of white women. (White) feminism as it is right now is not fit to deal with the complexities of WoC experience. Look at how white feminists consistently derail/dismiss the realities of black women. They do not want to acknowledge their own privileges. In their view “we’re pitting women against each other”. Because calling out the racism practiced by white women is anti-female solidarity. FFS!!

Despite these clear declarations, the Black Community still ain’t trying to hear it and continues to spout foolishness that these sistas are “agents of white supremacy” and are “anti-black man” and “divisive” despite the fact that many Black Women feminist/womanist or Black Women in general could give two shits about white men and white people.

This IS NOT What Black Feminism/Womanism Is About. This meme is divisive and misogynoirist.

Let’s be real here if this wasn’t an anti-woman patriarchal society the concept of feminism and in Black Women’s case womanism would not exist. To be Black, a Woman, and a feminist/womanist in the Black Community is a cardinal sin. LOL. Despite the Black Community’s claims that Black Feminist/Womanist are “anti-black family,” “anti-Black Man,” “divisive,” and are “agents of white supremacy” many Black feminist/womanist have fought and are still fighting the good fight against ALL social injustices towards ALL Black People including racism white supremacy, sexism, anti-black misogyny (misogynoir), classism, abelism, and other forms of discrimination and prejudices.Yes, Black Women Can Fight More Than One social Injustice At The Same Time. Ask veteran Black Women civil/human rights activist and feminist/womanist, Ida B. Wells, Frances E. Harper, Sojourner Truth, Angela Davis, Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Assata Shakur and many more.

What the Black Community also fail to Overstand is that many of these Black Feminist/ Womanist also fiercely challenged mainstream (white) feminism’s refusal to acknowledge and challenge the sexism and misogyny (misogynoir) that factor in descrimination towards Black Women, specifically and other forms of oppression. Not to mention, these sistas pointed out how mainstream (white) feminist failed to acknowledge and correct their own anti-black misogynist, white supremacist attitudes and behaviors towards Black Women. According to Sharon in “Black Feminism and Intersectionality,”

Because of the historic role of slavery and racial segregation in the United States, the development of a unified women’s movement requires recognizing the manifold implications of this continuing racial divide. While all women are oppressed as women, no movement can claim to speak for all women unless it speaks for women who also face the consequences of racism—which place women of color disproportionately in the ranks of the working class and the poor. Race and class therefore must be central to the project of women’s liberation if it is to be meaningful to those women who are most oppressed by the system.

Indeed, one of the key weaknesses of the predominantly white US feminist movement has been its lack of attention to racism, with enormous repercussions. Failure to confront racism ends up reproducing the racist status quo.

When Black Boys grow into dysfunctional, angry, and irresponsible Black Men the Black Community immediately blames single Black Mothers. There is NO BLAME place upon MBD (Missing Black Daddies) as if Black Women can perform immaculate conceptions (i.e., virgin birth). People automatically assume that the mother wanted to be single not asking and or considering if divorce (or death) has occured (some sistas don’t start out as single mothers) or if the father just walked out or decided that he did not want to take responsibility for his child(ren).

Lies, INTRA-Racism and Misogynoir

“There’s more Black Men in prison than in college!” Another big white lie Black People continuously repeat. Despite, systematic institutionalized racism white supremacy the truth is that THERE ARE MORE BLACK MEN IN COLLEGE THAN IN PRISON. Again, as stated earlier in this post, brothas make more money than sistas despite sistas outpacing Black Men in education, business, and entrepreneurship. So, Black Men are doing just fine considering the circumstances under the system of racism white supremacy.

Black Men’s “emasculation” occurred as a result of a racist social and economic system that began when the first Africans stepped on these shores in 1619. White men made damn sure the Black Man could not protect his wife, daughters, sisters and other female relatives from his degenerate predatory and pedophile ass and provide a descent living for himself and his family. White supremacy racism is at the root of ALL the Black Community’s ills. Daniel Moynihan didn’t include these facts in the report, Why would he?

Given all the evidence highlighted from the sources I provided within this post, Black Feminst/Womanist, Black Single Mothers and Black Women in general ARE NOT responsible for the destruction of the Black Family or the “emasculation” of the Black Man. Black Women being successful in education, business, and entrepreneurship does not “destroy” the family nor does it “emasculate” the Black Man.These claims have AbSOLUTELY NO BASIS IN FACT and are rooted first in the the racists, misogynoiristic lies of white America and the Black Community’s internalized racism (INTRA-racism) and misogynoir towards the Black Woman. So with all that said the BLACK COMMUNITY NEED TO GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE WITH THIS BULLSHIT!!!

6 thoughts on “Racism White Supremacy, Black Feminism, Single Black Motherhood, The Destruction of the Black Family, and the Myth of the Black Matriarchy”

*Slow claps. This was on point. Thank you for expressing the frustrations a lot of Black women feel. Yo, I swear the next clown to quote another stupid ass Shaharazad Ali quote is catching these hands. That woman is not deep. She is nothing more than a tool for patriarchy, the same way a coon is a tool for White supremacy. Conscious spaces looooooove quoting her all day, errday. This the same woman who justified domestic violence. Plumb fool. I digress. Thanks for penning this piece.

I co-sign 100%. I tried to like Shaharazad Ali, but I can’t get past her anti-black misogyny. While she talks about racism white supremacy out one side of her mouth, she continues to travel around the country spewing her anti-black woman, patriarchal misogynoiristic hatred and Black People keep eatin it up too. She’s says she’s a “conscious” Black Nationalist *eye roll*, but listen to her talk about Black Women and she sounds like a white supremacist. Unfortunately, you have a lot Shaharad Ali’s running rampant in the Black Community. The Black Community keeps proving what the Black Feminist and Womanist been saying…… the Black Community is EXTREMELY misogynoiristic.

Every time two black pepole are divided against each other it is proof of the ills we have had to suffer as a people at the hands of our oppressors. Black on black crime, relationship issues etc…stem from the breakdown and absolutute destruction caused by white supremecy & miseduction, and terrorism aimed at the black family & race. Amazing article!!!